Diet & Fitness

30 ways to keep your brain younger

It has been revealed that global dementia racks up a healthcare bill of £388 billion.

The World Alzheimer Report 2010 stated that care and medical costs including social care, unpaid care by relatives and medical bills amount for more than 1% of GDP.

The group warns that this is the '21st century's most significant health crisis'

Adding up the figures makes for some arresting comparisons - If dementia care were a country, it would be the world's 18th largest economy, and if it were a company, it would be the world's biggest by revenue.

While the causes and solutions of memory loss require extensive medical knowledge, there are some small steps you can take to keep your brain active.

Here are 30 ways to look after yours:

1. Eat oily fish
   Salmon, tuna and mackerel are a good source of omega-3, which has been linked to better brain performance.
2. Always have breakfast
   After 12 hours without food; your body and your brain need fuel.
3. Eat curries
   The turmeric that produces the yellow colour, helps ward off Alzheimers.
4. Learn an instrument or foreign language
   These are good for stimulating both sides of the brain and therefore help build brain muscle.
5. Drink red wine
   An antioxidant in red wine helps reduce Alzheimers.
6. Have a sing
   The deep breathing required for singing means more oxygen gets to the brain, which is good for warding off dementia.
7. Eat protein
   Foods that are high in protein are good for the brain as they help with the manufacture of the neuro-transmitter tryptophan.
8. Drink caffeine
   Caffeine alters the level of a neuro-transmitter called dopamine, which helps heighten your alertness.
9. Listen to classical music
   Classical music makes your brain work faster and increases receptiveness. Studies have also shown that it improves reading skills in children.
10. Sprinkle herbs
    Theres a good reason why wise people are called sages. Tests have shown that eating the herb helps you perform better in memory recall tests.
11. Watch less TV
    Watching television puts the brain into a neutral almost catatonic state.
12. Browse through old photographs
    Triggering fond memories can stimulate the long tem memory banks.
13. Exercise
    Walking and running are especially good for the brain because they increase the levels of oxygen and glucose it receives.
14. Sleep
    Extended periods of wakefulness cause the brain cells to malfunction.
15. Eat fruit and veg
    These are good source of anti-oxidants and they cancel out the damage done by toxic free radicals.
16. Chew gum
    Chewing helps store new memories due to increased activity in the hippocampus.
17. Socialise
    Talking and laughing with friends helps keep the mind sharp and also helps boost memory performance.
18. Drink more water
    Being dehydrated can damage your mental abilities because the brain is made up of about 80% water. So you should drink at least two litres a day and more if the weather is hot and you are exercising.
19. Consider Gingko Biloba
    This herb improves blood circulation, which means that your brain gets more oxygen and sugar.
20. Have sugary drinks
    They may be bad for you waistline and you teeth, but the rush of glucose is good for your brain and boosts your memory.
21. Eat less saturated fat
    This unhealthy type of fat will increase the level of cholesterol in the blood, which will make you more prone to dementia.
22. Cut down on salt
    Eating too much salt will increase your blood pressure and therefore increase your chance of a stroke.
23. Get married
    People who are married are less likely to have dementia than those who have never married. The most likely explanation is that they socialise more.
24. Have sex
    Having sex tends to boost the levels of prolactin, which helps create and nurture new nerve cells.
25. Deal with stress
    It is helpful to tackle the things that make you feel stressed. Tips include planning ahead, balancing work and leisure and having realistic expectations.
26. Take care with hormones
    If you are taking hormones such as oestrogen or testosterone make sure they are being carefully monitored. They could have harmful effects.
27. Play complex games
    Games such as bridge, chess and scrabble require you to think creatively, which experts claim is good for your brain cells.
28. Dont drink too much
    Excess alcohol can almost certainly cause dementia. Try and stick to around three to four units of alcohol a day for men and two to three for women.
29. Do things differently
    Stir your tea the wrong way round, use your other hand to hold your toothbrush. Doing things like this will keep more brain cells alive - its called neurobics
30. Take smart drugs
    Doctors have found that Donepezil, which is used to treat Alzheimers can improve memory and concentration in healthy people.